Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, weekend, said that the state had between May 20 and 24, recorded additional 20 new cases of the dreaded coronavirus disease. Umahi who stated this during a press conference at Exco Chambers of the old Government House, Abakaliki explained that out of the 33 total cases in the state, six persons had so far been treated and discharged.

The governor noted that there was no case recorded in any community yet as all the cases being handled were those intercepted at various borders across the state. He reiterated that between April 26 to May 20, 2020, the state recorded 13 cases, but on May 22, 9 new cases were recorded, 6 from Ishielu local government, two from Ivo and one from Izzi LGA. Continuing, the governor added that on May 23rd, additional 9 cases were recorded in Afikpo North alone, while 2 cases were recorded on May 24, from Ohaukwu local government area of the state. “This is very disturbing because if the various inter-state lockdown are observed in other states, then we will not have problem of these cases”, he maintained. The governor further lamented that the test kits being used by the medical team in the state were insufficient from NCDC, as some of those at the holding centers were being held for 14days without being tested because of lack of test kits.

“We are suspecting that some of these people got infected at the holding centers. But if we have test kits, as they come, we test them after 14days and if they are negative, they go, but when you keep them for 21days and the thing develops and you don’t know who has it, then it’s a major problem.

“So, the federal government has to do something about this. If you ask us to hold these people and isolate them from the society, we can’t even ask them to go back to their places and isolate. Some people are living five in one room in the rural areas. So, the best practice is what we are doing by collecting them at the borders as they sneak in and manipulate themselves into the state; hold them together according to NCDC policy and then have them tested.” Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/05/covid-19-ebonyi-records-20-new-cases-as-umahi-laments-insufficient-test-kits/